Type-writing machine.



A. J. BRIGGS.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.24, I915.

Patentd Feb. 13, 1917.

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INVENTEIFI:

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TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 050.24. 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

INVENTEIFI= ATTEIRNEY= A. J. BRI'GGS.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 24. 1915.

Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

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INVENTUR.

ATTURNE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR J. BRIGGS, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, AS SIGNOR T REMINGTON TYPEWRITER COMPANY, OF ILION, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

Application filed December 24,1915. Serial No. 68,477.

new and useful Improvements in Type--- Vriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to typewriting machines and it has for its object to provide certain improvements in ribbon vibrating mechanism. My invention relates especially to that class of visible typewriters in which the platen has a case shift motion. I provide in such a machine a ribbon vibrator that shifts with the platen and that is operated by mechanism which is capable of being set or adjusted to impart different extents of throw to the ribbon in order to bring different parts of the ribbon into use, and preferably such that the ribbon can, when desired, be thrown out of use, as for mimeograph work; and the mechanism will act the same in the different case shift positions thereof and of the platen.

I have shown my invention applied to a form of the Smith Premier typewriter. The Smith Premier typewriter, as usually manufactured, is a full keyboard machine having no case shift mechanism; but the present machine is a modification of the Smith Premier No. 10 typewriter whereby the platen is made shiftable and many of the type bars are provided with two types so that the ma chine-is made capable of printing a large number of different characters.

One form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a partial. front to rear vertical section showing so much of the typewriting machine above referred to as is necessary to an understanding of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of parts of the mechanism, parts of the machine being shown in vertical section a little in front of the platen and of the universal bar.

Fig. 3 is an isometricview of some of the principal parts of the ribbon vibrating and platen shifting mechanism.

Fig. 1 is a view similar to parts of Fig. 1 but showing a type bar at the printing point and printing from the upper stripe of the ribbon, and showing in broken lines the corresponding positions of parts of the ribbon vibrating mechanism when-said mechanism is set for writing on the lower stripe of the ribbon and also when the mechanism is set i for mimeograph work.

Fig. 5 is a view of the same general character as Fig. 4 but showing the platen in upper case position.

In all of the figures of the drawing the parts are shown in solid lines set for writ- 1 ing on the upper stripe of the ribbon.

The main frame of the machine shown in the drawings is similar to that of the Smith Premier N o. typewriter and it comprises two side plates 1 each including front and rear posts 2, and-said side plates supporting a top plate .3. The side plates 1 are connected together at the rear of the machine by a cross bar or plate (not shown) but resembling that of the ordinary Smith Premier machine, and the forward parts of said side plates are connected by a keyboard plate t suitably stepped to accommodate the several banks of keys.

The printing keys 5 have stems 6 which pass through said keyboardplate and are connected with bell-cranks 7 pivoted on transverse rods 8. These bell-cranks are connected by means oflinks 10 with sublevers 11, which sub-levers are pivoted at 12 on a segment 13 secured to the top plate 3. Each of the sub-levers is connected by means of a link 11 with one of the type bars 15. Said type bars are pivoted by ball bearings on two type bar segments 16 and they normally lie against a type rest'17. Each of the type bars shown in Fig. 1 is equipped with two types, namely an upper case type and a lower case type. The sub-levers 11 are controlled by returningsprings 18. All of the type action just described is or may be similar to the ordinary Smith Premier No. 10 construction except that in said Smith Premier construction the type bars have only one type each.

The top plateof the machine supports a stationary rail 19 along which travels a carriage 20 but the details of the carriage mounting are not shown, these being sub stantially identical with the well known Smith Premier No. -'10 construction. The end pie'ces ofthe "carriage have, however, been modified in a manner not necessary here to be explained, in order to allow of the up and down shift of the platen 21. Said platen is mounted, in a platen frame not here shown in detail but comprising end pieces 22 and cross rods 23 and 24, the first above and the second beneath the platen. The end pieces 22 are guided for up and down vertical motion by an upper pair of links 25 and a lower pair of links 26, .each of the latter pivoted to the truck 20 on a screw 27 and, at its forward end, pivoted to the platen frame at 28. The links 25 are pivoted to the platen frame at their forward ends and at their rear ends are connected by a transverse rock shaft 29 which is pivoted in the end pieces 20 of the truck. The platen frame is shown equipped with a paper apron 30 and feed rolls 31 and 32 and the other associated paper controlling devices including the rock shaft 33 and arms 34 which comprise part of the paper feed release devices of the Smith Premier machine. In the present instance the rock shaft 33 is shown pivoted in the platen frame instead of in the truck as has sometimes been the case-in the Smith Premier machine heretofore.

The platenframe, in addition to the transverse-rods 23 and 24, includes also a transverse channel bar 35 secured at its ends as by screws'to the end pieces 22 of the platen frame and extending the length of said frame at the lower, rear part thereof. The channel of this bar opens toward the rear and in it, substantially at the middle of the machine, there is situated a wheel or roller 36 journaled on a pin 37 (Fig. 3) projecting from a shift frame which, as far as invention is concerned, can be of any suitable construction. In the present instance said pin projects from the upper end of a bracket 38 fastened by means of screws 39 to an upright post 40, which post is shiftable up and .down in order to shift the platen frame through the action of the wheel 36 011 the channel bar 35. The lower end of the post 40 is ivoted at 41 to a lever arm 42 projecting rearward from a transverse square rock shaft 43 on which are also mounted one or more arms 44 extending therefrom toward the front of the machine and having mounted on the forward end or ends thereof one ormore case shift keys 45. The platen frame is normally in its lower position shown in Fig. 1 but it can be raised to the upper case position shown in Fig. 5. by depressing the key 45.

The upper end of the post 40 is guided by means best shown in Fig. 3 but shown also in the other figures of the drawing, A bracket'46 is secured to the upper end of the post 40, said bracket to that end being formed with two ears 47 which are suitably fastened to the post as by rivets. This bracket extends from the post 40 toward the front of the machine as shown, for example, in Fig. 1 and at a little distance in front of said post the bracket is formed with arms extending toward the right and toward the left, each of said arms terminating in an upturned branch or ear 48. A link 50 extending approximately horizontally and in a front and rear direction, has a cross rod 51 thereon at its forward end and at its rear end a similar cross rod 52. The first of these is pivoted in the ears 48 of the bracket 42 on pivot screws 53 and the 7 cross bar .52 is pivoted on pivot screws 54 in a bracket 55 secured to the underside of the top plate 3 as by screws 56 (Fig. 1). The ,case shift mechanism herein shown and briefly described is-not of my invention but is the invention of John H. Barr, whose application was filed January 27, 1916, Serial No. 74,577.

The universal bar mechanism comprised in the present machine is or may be substantially like that heretofore employed in the Smith Premier machine. The universal bar 57 consists of an arc-shaped angle-bar or sheet metal lying beneath and behind the arms 58 of the sub-levers 11, which arms project outward from the pivot wire 12 and have the springs 18 connected thereto.- One flange of the angle-bar 57 is in position to be pushed toward the rear of the machine bythe arm 58 of any sub-lever 11 that may 95 be operated, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Said universal bar is provided with two brackets 60, one near each side of the machine, and said brackets arepivoted to the upper ends of arms 61 fixed on a transverse 10 rock shaft 62 pivoted at its ends in the side plates 1, by means of pivot screws 63, Fig.

2. Near its middle said universal bar is also provided with a bracket 64 having a vertical slot therein in which plays a pin 65 projecting from an arm 66, which arm proects upward from another rock shaft 67, pivoted on pivot screws 68 in the side plates 1. The two rock shafts 62 and 67 are constrained to rock together, so as to give a parallel motion to the universal bar, by means of arms 70 and'71 projecting rearward from the IOck shafts 62 and 67 respectively, said armsbeing connected by a link 72. The universal bar is normally held in its forward position by means of any suitable returning spring such as the spring 73, which spring is connected to the arm 71 and to a pin 74 projecting from astationary part. The construction is such that the universal bar is moved toward the rear of the machine at each operation of a printing key.

Ribbon spools 75 are provided, the situation of the spools as here shown being like that in the Smith Premier No. 10 machine. Said spools an be driven by the means heretofore' employed in that machine or they can be driven in any suitable way. In the present instance there are two spools situ- 139 a-ted side by side, and the ribbon 76 is here shown as led forward from said spools over the rod 51, which serves as a guide for said ribbon.

I provide a ribbon vibrator 77, the general form of which is similar to-that heretofore employed in the No. 10 Smith Premier. Said vibrator is pivoted on pins 78 projecting the one toward the right and the other toward the left from the two arms of a branched or double lever 80. This lever is so mounted as to partake of the case shift of the platen, being moved bodily up and down by the case shift mechanism. This mode of operation can be brought about by various means but as here shown the said lever is mounted on the shift frame. To this .end the ears 48 of the bracket 42 are prolonged upward above the rod 51 and the lever 80 is a mounted on a rock shaft 81, which rock shaft is pivoted at its ends in pivot screws 82 threaded through the upper parts of the ears 48, the construction being such that said rock shaft lies a little above the shaft or rod 51. The lever 80, as here shown, is made of sheet metal comprising a left-hand arm and a, right-hand arm connected together by a are bent toward each other as shown so that when the pin 84 is inserted in the lever the arm 86 serves as a guard to prevent said pin from moving out of the lever. Said arm 86 is so formed, however, that when the link and the lever 80 are turned up into an abnormal relationthe pin 84 can be readily withdrawn from the lever,'thus disconnecting the link and lever. The rock shaft-81 is shown with two sleeves 87 forced over the ends thereof and constituting means for perventing endwise motion of the lever 80 along the shaft. These collars are shown coned at 88, this formation beingluseful in properly guiding the ribbon.

In order to guide the upper end of the vibrator the bracket 46 is formed with a forwardly and upwardly directed branch 90 which at its upper end is forked to leave an opening 91, Fig. 3, through which the types can strike against the paper, and ears 92 at the upper ends of the two branches of the forked guide are bent back upon themselves so as to form slots by means of which the vibrator is guided.

The vibrator is made of thin sheet metal and as seen from the front is of an H-shape, having an integral cross bar 93, two down- "printing point.

present case is a two-color ribbon and the wardly directed limbs 94 each at its lower end pivoted on one of the pins 78, and two upwardly directed limbs 95, the inner edges 0 which are guided by the ears 92. The

limbs 94 are pivoted on the pin 78 by being a little to the rear thereof in order to hold I the ribbon back away from the ears 92. The bracket 90 comes up between the two lower limbs of the vibrator and between the two branches of the lever 80.

The ribbon, as shown in the drawing, is led forward from one of the spools 75 over the rod 51 and under the hinge where the vibrator 77 is pivoted to one .of the pins 78, thence up in front of one side of the vibrator, through one of the turning bars 97, thence horizontally in rear of the vibrator and of the arms 98 across the printing point, back through the other turning bar 97, and thence downward and back to the other spool by a. similar route; but it can be led from the spool up over the bar 81, if preferred. The vibrator normally stands in the position shown in Fig. 1 below the line of writing but is adapted to be raised at each printing operation, if desired, to cover the The ribbon shown in the vibrator mechanism is adapted to bring either stripe of said ribbon to the printing point as shown in Fig. 4 and to do this either in the lower case position of the platen as shown in Fig. 4 or in the upper case position of the platen as shown in Fig. 5.

The lower end of the link 85 is connected with a bell-crank 100. This bell-crank, like the vibrator 77, lever 80-and link 85, is adapted to be shifted up and down by the case shift mechanism. 'Preferably, said lever is pivoted to the shift frame and in the present. instance it is pivoted ,on a shouldered and headed screw 101 threaded into the lower part of the post 40. Said bellcrank has an arm which may be described as an approximately horizontal arm 102 to which the link 85 is pivoted and it also has an'approximately vertical arm which is so connected with the universal bar as to be properly operated in either the upper case or lower case position of the parts. In the present instance the vertical arm of thebellcrank 100 extends downward from the pivot 101 and is connected by means of a link 103 with the/pin 65 which pin connects the arm- 66 with the bracket 64 on the universal bar 57. The rear end of the link 103 is pivoted on a pivot screw 104 threaded into the hellcrank 100. The construction is such that whenever the universal bar 57 is moved toward the rear of the machine the link 103 rocks the bell-crank 100, and if the link 85 is suitably adjusted for that purpose said link will be drawn downward and the vibrator will be operated.

I have provided means whereby the vibrator can be moved different distances at the key strokes in order to use different stripes of the ribbon and also whereby the mechanism can, if desired, be rendered inoperative to throw the ribbon to the printing point. To this end one end of the link 85 is made adjustable so as to vary the leverage ratio between the levers 80 and 100 and also, if desired, to practically disconnect said levers one from the other. I prefer to adjust the lower end of the link 85 with relation to the pivot 101 of the bell-crank 100, and the lower end of said link is accordin ly made slidable along the arm 102 of sai lever. The slidable connection between the link 85 and the arm 102 can be of various sorts but as here shown said arm 102 is made of a piece of wire so curved as that when the parts are in normal position said curve has its center substantially in the pin 84 at the upper end of said link so that the link can be moved at its lower end in a front and back direction without moving the lever 80, at least to an extent sufficient to affect the mechanism materially. In the present instance the wire 102 is disposed somewhat above the pivot 101, being at its rear end curved downward and laterally inward inthe direction of the post 40 as will be understood from a comparison of Figs. 2 and 5, for example.

The last part of the wire lies against the fiat side of the main part of the lever 100 to which it is fastened in any suitable way as for example by welding. The flat part of the lever is preferably made of sheet metal. It will thus be 'seen that the arm 102 is off-set from the balance of the lever and from the pivot 101 in such a way as to leave the arm available for a sliding connection of the link 85 therewith. The details of said connection can be varied but as here shown a block 105 is provided with a suitable hole through which the wire 102 passes and said block is also formed with a shouldered cut-out 106, Figs. 2 and 3, against which lies the flattened lower end of the link 85 and said link is provided with a rigid pin 107 which projects into a horizontal hole in the block. This pin is of sufficient length to prevent the block from turning in a right and left-hand direction on the wire 102 but provides a pivotal connection between the link and the block.

The block 105 can be adjusted front and back along the wire 102 by any suitable means, that here shown comprising a link 108 pivoted to the block 105 by means of a screw 110 and provided with an enlar ement or ear 111 which lies against the at part of the link 85 in position to prevent the pin 107 from becoming displaced. The link 108 is here shown pivoted at 112 to an upwardly projecting arm 113 of a trans- Verse rock shaft 114, which is pivoted at its ends in the side plates 1. The link 108, as shown in Fig. 1, is normally in a position approximately horizontal so that the case shift motion of the vibrator actuating mechanism does not materially affect the position of the block 105 along the arm 102. The construction is such that the block 105 and link 85 can be moved along the arm 102 in a front and back direction by rocking the shaft 114. The mechanism is shown in the drawings in full lines with said link connected with the lever arm 102 at approximately the middle of the length of said lever arm and it is so designed that when the parts are in this position the printing will be from the upper stripe of the ribbon, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. other positions of the link 85 are shown in broken lines. When said link is moved forward toward the free end of the lever arm 102 the vibrator is given a greater extent of throw as indicated in said figure so as to print from the lower stripe of the ribbon. When said block is moved to this extreme rear position the link 85 has its longitudinal axis pointing approximately toward the pivot 101 of the bell-crank 100, 102, with the result that when a key is operated the link is not' pulled downward and the vibrator is substantially stationary. If desired, the arm 102 can be so formed as to permit of the block 105 being moved for mimeograph work a little to the rear of the pivot 101, in which case the vibrator will be moved slightly downward at the key strokes.

The rock shaft 114, or other suitable means for controlling the link 85, can be adjusted by any suitable means. The means shown in the drawing for this purposev is substantially that shown and described in the patent to Brown No. 938,119, granted Oct. 26, 1909. The left-hand end of the shaft 114 has depending therefrom an arm 115 which is connected by a long link 116 with a depending arm or lever 117, which lever is pivoted at 118 to one of the side plates 1 at the front of the machine. The lever 117 is capable of occupying three positions in any one of which it is retained by a detent roller 120 mounted on the side of a lever 121 pivoted to the side plate 1 and drawn downward by a spring 122, the roller engaging any one of three notches suitably formed in the upper edge of the lever 1171 Said lever has two pins 123 and 124 projecting' therefrom in position to be engaged by aT-shaped actuating link 125, which In Fig. 4, two

of an angledlever, which also comprises a horizontal arm 127 and which lever is pivoted at 128 to the side plate 1. The arm 127 has a colorkey 130 connected therewith. This key and the parts controlled thereby are provided with a returning spring 131 connected to a branch of the link 125. The construction is such that whenever the key 130 is depressed the link 125 will engage one ofthe pins 123 or 124 depending on'the position of the lever 117 at the time. One of these pins is above and the other below the pivot 118 so that if the lever is standing in the position shown in Fig. 1 an operation of the key 130 will swing the depending arm of the lever 117 towardthe rear, and move the link 85 toward the front of the machine. When the key is released and restored to normal position by its spring 131 the link 125 will then be in a position to engage the lower pin 124 so that a second actuation of the key 130 will restore the parts to the position shown iii F ig; 1. The key 1130 is thus adapted to change the vibrator mechanism from red to black and from black-to red.

When it is desired to do mimeograph or stencil work the parts are moved by hand. The lever 117 has pivoted thereto at the rear of its pivot 118 a bar 132 which extends rearward andupward, the upper end being guided by a pin 133 projecting downward from the top plate 3. ,This bar has a forward branch 134 which, for the present purposes, may be described as a handle although in actual practice it is bent off to the left to constitute an index registering with an indicator plate 135 mounted on the front of the post 2. This handle or index moves up and down when the lever 117 is operated by the key 130 and indicates to the operator in what position the bi-color mechanism is standing. When it is desired to throw the vibrator mechanism out of operation the operator pushes down on this part 134, thus forcing the lever 117 to a third position in which its lower arm is moved farther to- Ward the front of the machine than it ever is moved by the key 130. This, acting through the rock shaft 114, pulls the link 85 to its extreme rear position shown in Fig. 4, but leaves the link 125 in engagement with the upper pin 123 so that when it is desired to bring the ribbon into use again this can be accomplished by a depression of the key 130. I have not shown or described this mechanism in minute detail partly because Varioiis changes can be made in the details of construction and arrangement without departing from my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1 1. The combination of a platen; a ribbon vibrator; actuating means for said vibrator including a lever, a link operated by said lever, and a universal bar for operating said lever; means for imparting a case shift to said platen, vibrator, lever and link; and means operable in both case positions of the parts for adjusting said link along the arm of said lever to which it is connected.

2. The combination of a platen; a ribbon vibrator; a lever to which said vibrator is connected; a link for operating said lever; .21 second lever to which said link is pivoted; a universal bar connected with said second lever; means for imparting a case shift to said platen, vibrator, levers and links; and means operable in both case positionsof the parts for adjusting said link to vary the leverage-ratio between the said levers.

3. The combination of a platen; a ribbon vibrator; actuating means for said vibrator comprising a lever and a link operated by 'said lever and having a sliding connection withan arm of said lever; means for op crating said lever; means for imparting a case shift to said platen, vibrator, link and lever; and means for adjusting said link by sliding it along said lever arm, said means including an adjusting link connected at one end to the first said link and a nonshifting adjusting device connected to said adjusting link.

- 4. The combination of a platen; a ribbon vibrator; actuating means for said vibrator comprising a bell-crank having horizontal and vertical arms and a link having sliding connection with said horizontal arm whereby said link is operated; a universal bar; means including a horizontal link connected to said vertical arm whereby said universal bar operates said bellecrank; means for imparting a verticalcase shift to said platen, said vibrator-actuating link and said bellcrank; and means mounted in the stationary frame-Work for adjusting said vibrator-actuating link by sliding it along said horizontal arm of the bell-crank.

5. The combination of a traveling platen, a non-traveling shift frame, means to operate said frame to impart a case shift to said platen, a ribbon vibrator, a lever mounted on said shift frame and having said vibrator connected thereto, a second lever mounted on said shift frame, a link connecting said -levers, a universal bar adapted to operate.=--:*"i

said second lever in both positions of the shift frame, and means for adjusting said link to'vary the leverage-ratio between said levers.

tively connected with said arm, a ribbon vibrator operated by said link, means for opcrating said lever, and means for adjusting said link along said arm.

7. The combination of a shiftable platen,

a vertical post which partakes of the shift of said platen, a lever pivoted on the upper part of said post, a ribbon vibrator carried by said lever, a second lever pivoted on the lower part of'said post, means for operating said second lever, and-adink connecting the two said levers and shiftable with said platen and post and adjustable to vary the leverage-ratio between said levers.

8. The combination of a shiftable platen, a vertical post which partakes of the shift of said platen, a lever pivoted 0n the upper part of said post, a ribbon vibrator carried by said lever, a second leverpivoted on the lower part of said post, means for operating said second lever, a link connecting the two said levers and shiftable with said platen and post and adjustable to vary the leverage-ratio between said levers, and a nonshiftable device for adjusting said link.

9. The combination of a platen, a platen 'roller engaging said rail and means for shifting said frame up and down, a'bracket at the upper end of said vertical frame,

means for guiding the upper end of said vertical frame, said means connected with said bracket, a lever mounted in said bracket, a ribbon vibrator carried by said lever, a second lever mounted on the lower part of said frame, means for actuating said second lever, and a connection from said second lever to the first said lever.

10. The combination of a platen, means including a shift frame for imparting a case shift to said platen, a ribbon vibrator, a guide for said vibrator consisting of a bracket projecting from said shift frame, a lever mounted in said shift frame, connections from said lever to said vibrator, and means for adjusting an element of said connections toward and from the pivot of said lever in order to vary the amount of motion imparted by said lever to said connections at each stroke of the lever.

Signed at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, and State of New York this 21st day of December, A. D. 1915.

' ARTHUR J. BRIGGS.

Witnesses:

M. J. GALLAVIN, EDWIN H. Donen. 

